


Vagabond

by RedPandaPrincess



Category: Sweeney Todd (2007)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-02 05:36:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 12,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11502858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedPandaPrincess/pseuds/RedPandaPrincess
Summary: What if Judge Turpin wasn't always a pious vulture of the law? What if once he was a man. A man who was capable of love.Set before the years of Sweeney Todd.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this years and years ago and just found the document again on my old external hard drive. It's actually pretty good so I decided to post it to Ao3, after a bit of editing. Please let me know what you think!

Dani fled down the streets of London, through the crowd of people, her heart pounding like mad. She was clutching a loaf of bread to her chest. She’d nicked it off a cart and now the owner of the cart was chasing her, yelling. She hadn’t exactly picked the best spot to nick something- no alleyways she could hide down, no sewer to drop into. She hadn’t been thinking clearly, obviously. She had been _so_ hungry and it had been _so_ tempting. If she could outrun the man, just long enough…

Up a ways, she spotted a door of a large house partially open. Maybe no one would notice if she ducked inside, just long enough to lose her pursuer. She increased her speed, getting just far enough ahead so that the baker didn’t notice her slip inside the house.

She stood just inside the door, trying to catch her breath and wolfing down as much of the bread as she could so that when she left she would be empty-handed. She chuckled to herself as she ate, pleased with her steal. She looked around at the house she had entered. It was an old house, but beautiful. It didn’t appear anyone was home. It couldn’t hurt to take a look around… Most people wouldn’t mess with her because she was girl, but the baker had been a different story. She’d stolen from him before and he knew her well.

Dani had grown up on the streets of London. She supposed she had had parents at some point, but the earliest memory she had was of an orphanage. She had been 12 years old when she ran away from there after the owner of the orphanage had forced himself upon her. After that, she decided she could take care of herself. She slept on rooftops and never for more than a few hours at a time. If it rained, she stayed under a lean-to. If it stormed, there were several abandoned houses where the roofs didn’t leak too badly. She knew London, its streets, its alleyways, its sewer system, like the back of her hand, but she had gotten turned around in her flight. If she’d had any idea whose house it was she was in, she certainly would not be there…

She moved silently through the house, trying to find the kitchen. If she was lucky, she could nick some more food and get the hell out of there without anyone catching her. However, she got distracted when she reached the study, distracted by the numerous books on shelves that lined the room. She loved to read…

The first few shelves contained books on languages and words. There were books from all over the world. She spent several minutes scanning the titles. She reached a shelf with hand-bound leather books. Curiosity getting the better of her, she pulled one off the shelf. She opened the book to a page that contained a detailed drawing of a nude Asian woman and a man, contorted in what she would have thought an impossible position. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the book and flipped through some more pages. When a voice spoke behind her, she jumped and dropped the book on the floor.

“Well, well, what _have_ we here?” said a sneering voice.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Judge Nathaniel Turpin certainly had not expected to find anyone in his house when he returned home. When he had left, the movers had been moving in a piano he had purchased and it seemed they had left the door partially open when they left. He knew almost immediately that there was someone else in his house, though he somewhat expected it to be the Beadle, who often dropped in. Planning to belittle the man for leaving the door open, he made his way to his study.

When he realized there was a stranger in the room, he stood in the shadows, watching. It was a long-haired lad wearing dirty trousers, a dirty shirt and no shoes. His back was to him and he was flipping through one of the books.

“Well, well, what _have_ we here?” the judge said, stepping out of the shadows. The boy gasped and dropped the book. He whirled around and Turpin found it was not a boy at all, but a grubby girl. She was wearing boys’ clothes, but was definitely a girl, around the age of 16 from the looks of it. She had pretty pale skin and long red hair that was knotted and dirty and partially shoved under a hat.

The girl looked terrified, but at the same time had a defiant sort of gleam in her eye. He glanced down to the book she had dropped and saw it was open to a page on the geisha of Japan. This particular page depicted a particularly detailed orgy. He glanced back up at the girl, who was blushing bright red. He smirked.

“You’re a girl,” he stated.

“Well spotted,” she said in an acidic tone.

Feisty, he thought to himself.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

She hesitated a moment.

“…I was hiding,” she said.

“From whom?” he inquired and when she didn’t respond immediately he added. “It’s best to tell the truth. I am a judge and I will know if you lie.”

“From the baker. I nicked something from his cart and he was chasing me. The door was open and I just ducked in for a moment, then I thought if no one was home, I might could get some more food out of it. But I got distracted…”

“And why did you steal from the baker?”

“Because I was hungry, of course.”

He looked her over again, taking in her mangy appearance.

“You are a beggar.”

“I do not beg, sir,” she said hotly.

“Then you are homeless.”

“I prefer the term vagabond or nomad,” she responded. “I also like vagrant, but it has negative connotations.”

“You have quite the extensive vocabulary for a vagabond. How do you know such big words?”

“I read a lot,” she replied with a shrug.

He glanced down at the book again.

“Obviously,” he said with a smirk.

Blushing furiously she snatched the book up, closed it and placed it back on the shelf.

“Will you just go ahead and kick me out already?” she said, crossing her arms.

“Well I can’t do that now, can I? You’ve just admitted to me that you stole from the baker and you intended to steal from me. I am a judge, you know.”

“Everyone knows who you are, Judge Turpin,” she said. “…What are you going to do then? Throw me in jail?”

He was silent a while, thinking it over.

“I think not,” he said finally.

“Then what are you doing to do?”

“I wish for you to dine with me.”

“What? Why?” she asked suspiciously.

“Is it not enough that you look pathetic and starved? …You intrigue me. Will you dine with me?”

She looked him over, eying him appraisingly. At last, she gave a curt nod.

“Very good. Have a seat, I’ll be back in a moment.”

 

 

Dani sat on the couch as they ate, feeling uncomfortable. She felt small and dirty compared to everything in the house. She had been reluctant to sit on the nice couch- she _knew_ she was covered head-to-toe in dirt. But he had told her to sit, so she sat.

When Judge Turpin brought a plate of ham and biscuits she immediately began wolfing it down.

“You need not eat so quickly, child, you will make yourself ill,” he said, sitting in the chair. “…What is your name, girl?”

“Dani,” she said through a mouthful of food.

“Short for Danielle, I presume?” he asked.

She shrugged, her mouth to full to speak. She rather hated it when people called her Danielle.

“Do you have a last name?” he inquired. “Please don’t speak with your mouth full.”

She swallowed before answering.

“Nope. Just Dani.”

“Ah. And where are you from, Danielle?”

She winced slightly.

“Dunno,” she said.

“And do you have any family?”

“Dunno.”

“…You know, with such an impressive vocabulary, one can’t help but wonder why you don’t make more of an effort to speak properly.”

They ate in silence for a few minutes. She could tell he was studying her , just as she was studying him, though she was being more discreet about it. She couldn’t figure out why he was being so nice to her. Perhaps he was just a nice person… She hadn’t expected a judge to be like this. She rather expected him to act more like the police. He was somewhat charming in his own way and wasn’t all that bad looking…

“I have a proposition for you, Danielle,” he said when she was almost done eating.

“It’s Dani, sir.”

“ _Danielle_ ,” he said again, with emphasis. “If you are interested, I could use someone to keep house for me. You would clean, cook… and you could lodge here. You would be given money to purchase whatever you need.”

“Don’t know how to cook,” she said slowly and when he raised an eyebrow at her she quickly added. “But I could learn.”

“Does this mean you accept my offer?”

She thought it over carefully. She had never had a job before. She never thought of herself as the settling down type. But his offer was tempting… three meals a day, a safe place to sleep…to be able to be clean again…

“Yes,” she said finally. “I suppose.”

“Excellent,” he said, pleased. “There are a few conditions.”

“What?” she asked, guarded.

“You will not steal anything while you are under my employ- not from me, nor from anyone else, is that understood?”

“Yeah.”

“ _Yes_ _sir_ ,” he corrected. “That is another condition. You will make every effort to be polite and to use proper English, understood?”

“Yes sir.”

“Now, do you have anything you need to get from…wherever it is you have been staying?”

“…Yes sir.”

“Then go and get it. I will be waiting for you when you return.”

“Yes sir. …Thank you.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

Dani left Judge Turpin’s house, looking around carefully to make sure the baker was gone. She made her way quickly to the roof of a butcher’s shop where she often slept. She passed a man named Steve in the alley by the butcher’s shop. He was a homeless man, a beggar, who had always been polite to her.

“Hey Steve,” she said as she climbed the fire escape on the side of the building. He nodded to her, absorbed in his task of digging through the trashcan.

Tucked away in a corner of the roof was her knapsack, which held everything she owned in the world. She opened it and looked inside. There was a blanket which she had since she’d left the orphanage. A simple grey dress that was only a little dirty and was the only other article of clothing she owned besides what she wore. The dress was only a little too small for her- she’d found it in a trash bin about six months ago, someone had thrown it out because it had a button missing. There were also a pair of half gloves that she wore when it got cold, but it was July now.

The only other thing in the bag was a stuffed tiger. She’d had the tiger, Mandrake, for as long as she could remember. She had a very dim recollection of herself as a small child, maybe 3 years old, and being given the plush toy by a man whose face she could never see clearly. She thought it was probably a dream. She hugged the tiger to her chest before putting him back in the knapsack, slinging it over her shoulder, and climbing down off the roof.

“Where you goin, girly?” Steve asked her.

“Got me a job. Doin housework in a nice place.”

“That’s where it’s at. Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

When Dani returned to the house she paused on the front step. She knocked awkwardly on the door. A moment passed and Judge Turpin opened the door, smiling slightly.

“You need not knock… you certainly didn’t knock the first time,” he said to her.

She couldn’t think of anything to say, so she shrugged.

“Come along, Danielle. I will show you where you can put your things,” he said.

Dani followed the judge upstairs to a very large spare room with a huge, queen-sized cast iron bed. It was a feather bed and it looked extremely comfortable. She tried to remember the last time she’d slept in a bed…it had to be the night Bryan forced himself on her at the orphanage…

She pushed the thought away and set her bag down on the floor by the bed. She turned and looked at Turpin.

“No offense, but I must request that you take a bath and…do you have anything to change in to?” he asked, wrinkling his nose slightly.

“Well, I have this,” she said, pulling out the dress.

“…That will do for now, I suppose. The bathroom is down the hall. Come down to the study whenever you are finished.”

“Yes sir.”

Turpin left the room and Dani waited a moment, then made her way down the hall to the bathroom. There was an enormous claw foot bathtub in the center of the room. Dani turned on the water taps, trying to remember the last time she had actually taken a bath that wasn’t with water from a pool or fountain.

When the bath was almost full she stripped out of her dirty clothes and tossed them aside. She sank down into the hot water and let out a moan. She lay in the water for a long time, soaking it in. She hadn’t felt this good in years.

She considered the fact that the judge could be watching her in the bath. He was obviously somewhat perverted, judging from the books she had found on the shelves. She quickly decided she didn’t care. If he wanted to watch her, let him watch. As long as he didn’t hurt her and she got to sit in this amazing tub, it was worth it.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

As it so happened, Turpin was not watching her in the bath. He was downstairs in the study, thinking. The girl would need clothes- he planned to take her shopping that evening. He could certainly afford to buy her a few dresses. He couldn’t have anyone who worked for him looking like _that_.

Almost an hour passed and he was beginning to become concerned when Dani finally came downstairs. She wore the old grey dress, which he could now tell was too small for her. It wasn’t that it was tight on her- on the contrary, it hung from her bony, unhealthy frame- but it was short. It was obviously made for a much younger girl and was missing a button.

Her red hair was clean now, but it was still tangled. It was so knotted, he knew there was no hope of being able to brush the tangles out. The girl would need a haircut.

“Come, Danielle,” he said, standing up.

“Where are we going, sir?” she asked.

“To get you some decent clothes.”

“Oh there’s no need for you to-” she said, looking embarrassed.

“No, I insist. I can’t have anyone who works for me dressing like they belong on the streets. And you’ll need a haircut as well.”

She touched her long red hair wistfully and nodded.

Turpin got his walking stick from by the door and they left the house. Dani trailed along behind him, looking squirrelly. He studied her closely. She was looking around anxiously, her green eyes bright and alert, her muscles tensed.

“Relax,” he told her. “You are safe with me.”

She didn’t say anything, but relaxed her shoulders a little. Still, her eyes didn’t stop darting around at every person they passed.

They entered the tailor’s shop where he usually went to have his jacket’s made or have his clothes mended.

“Judge Turpin,” said Tom Barbrady, the tailor. “What can I do for you, my lord?”

“Tom this is Danielle, my new housekeeper. As you can see, she is in need of some new clothes,” he said to him.

“I see. A little young to keep house, isn’t she?”

“I feel she can do the job,” Turpin said confidently.

“Alright then, my dear, let’s get your measurements.”

Danielle stood stiff as a board and didn’t speak a word while Tom measured her. Turpin studied her, half-amused, half-exasperated. When it came time to choose the style of dress it was obvious that Danielle was going to be of no help. With Tom’s assistance, he picked out a rather simple dress style they agreed would look good on her and ordered it in four different colors: blue, green, red and black. Tom told them to come back tomorrow. In the meantime, he said he would give her a light blue skirt and a white blouse that he had in her size.

“And shoes,” Tom added, giving her a pair of simple black shoes.

When Dani had changed, they left the tailor’s and walked down the street towards the barber’s shop.

“I wondered why you did not have shoes, but forgot to ask,” he commented, looking down at her feet.

“I just didn’t have shoes. I grew out of the ones I used to have. After a while my feet grew tough enough that I didn’t need them anymore,” she said with a shrug. “Why risk my neck for something so…trivial.”

“What about during the winter?”

“I make do,” she replied.

When they reached the barber’s shop, the barber Michael Swanson, recoiled at the state of her hair. He did not, however, ask questions. Michael was from France and the judge often went to him for a haircut and shave. The judge always tipped generously and Michael knew better than to ask questions.

“Oh my goodness. I will have to cut so much…” Michael said, examining her hair and shaking his head.

“Do what you must,” Turpin said, since it was obvious that Dani was only going to sit there stiffly again. She winced with the first snip of her long red hair and sat there with her eyes closed throughout the whole ordeal.

When Michael was finished, Dani’s hair was short, falling just past her ears. But it was free of tangles. Michael gifted her a silver-handled hairbrush.

“Do not worry,” he said. “Your hair will grow back quickly. You will need this.”

Dani took the brush, but kept her eyes on the floor. Turpin cleared his throat and gave her a look, which she correctly interpreted.

“Thank you, Monsieur,” she said quietly.

“You are quite welcome, my dear,” Michael replied, smiling and winking at Turpin.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Dani felt awkward as they walked back down the street towards the house. She wasn’t used to wearing skirts or dresses- the one dress she had was for special occasions only. She much preferred wearing trousers, but had the feeling Judge Turpin would not take kindly to this so she said nothing. She preferred boys’ clothes because… well, they were more comfortable, for one thing. And for another, it was difficult to make a fast getaway in a dress. You couldn’t scale the side of a building, jumping from roof to roof, in a skirt.

But she wasn’t supposed to do stuff like that anymore anyway, she reminded herself. She had to act domesticated. She watched the other people on the street carefully to see how they acted. The men in their coats and top hats with their walking sticks. The women in large fluffy dresses with petticoats and bonnets, one arm linked with the arm of the man at their side. She considered linking her arm with Turpin’s, but felt awkward and was uncertain of how to go about doing so.

“You should always say thank you when someone gives you something,” Turpin said, interrupting her thoughts. He was referring to the barber.

“Yes, sir,” she said quietly.

“…Is something troubling you, Danielle?” he asked.

“No, sir…”

“I can tell that you are lying, Danielle.”

“I… I don’t like charity. People giving me things… I don’t understand,” she admitted. “I don’t know what they expect me to do.”

He laughed aloud and she narrowed her eyes at him. She had confided in him and he had laughed?

“Forgive me for laughing,” he said apologetically. “Danielle, people will give you things in life. You are a young girl and very pretty. Just smile and say thank you. People like helping other people- it makes them feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”

“I just don’t get it,” she said, shaking her head.

“You don’t have to understand it. Just do as I say, and good things will come to you.”

“Yes, sir,” she said obediently, but inside her heart fluttered- had he called her pretty?

Dani had never thought of herself as pretty. She knew she was grubby most of the time. She was thin in an unhealthy way- something that couldn’t be helped, really. She could count all of her ribs if she laid flat on her back. She was also really pale, despite living the majority of her life outdoors. Her hair- it had been pretty at one time. A long, long time ago, when she lived at the orphanage. The other girls always claimed they were jealous of her hair…but when Bryan had told her he loved her hair, when he had grasped it in his filthy hands as he pushed into her…she had stopped taking care of it after that. She stopped caring about how she looked. So why did she suddenly care that Judge Turpin thought she was pretty?

It was getting late when they returned home and Judge Turpin gave her a tour of the house. He showed her the kitchen, the cellar where food was kept and the dining room, where there was a large table.

“It’s just you here, right?” Dani asked, running her fingers over the smooth wood of the table. She was rather impressed.

“Yes, but sometimes I will have a friend over and I’ve been known to host the occasional party,” he replied.

“No wife? Girlfriend?” she asked innocently.

“Not at the moment, no,” he replied absently, wiping a smudge off the table.

He showed her through the rest of the house and out to the backyard. There were a few trees, but no flowers. There was a clothesline strung between two of the trees and a large pot and washboard.

“Washing clothes will be part of your job, okay? It’s not difficult to do. I can show you the first time, then you are on your own. Washday is Monday.”

“Yes, sir,” Dani replied with a nod.

He led her back inside and Dani spotted an old door that they had passed several times.

“What’s in here, sir?” she asked curiously.

“Hm? Oh, stairs that lead to the attic…would you like to see?”

She nodded and he opened the door. Dani followed Turpin up the stairs to a room that was filled with boxes, mirrors and a number of strange objects.

“This house used to belong to a great magician,” he explained to her. “All of these are things that belonged to him.”

“Could I maybe have a look around?” she asked, trying not to sound too eager.

“Perhaps another day,” he replied. “It is getting late and we should eat.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, disappointed.

On their way back downstairs there was a knock on the door.

“Would you like for me to get it, sir?” Dani offered.

“Not this time,” he said with a smile. “Go wait for me in the parlor.”

“Yes, sir.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

Turpin opened the door to find his old friend, the Beadle Bamford, on his doorstep.

“Ah, Beadle. Come in, my friend, come in,” he said, stepping aside. “There is someone I wish for you to meet.”

“Oh?” the beadle asked, intrigued. “Would this someone be of the female persuasion?”

“Yes, but it’s not what you think. She is my new housekeeper, she…she lived on the streets and I’ve taken her in,” Turpin told him quietly.

“How old is she?”

“I’ve not asked,” he replied. “Come, she is in the parlor.”

Turpin led the beadle into the sitting room where Dani sat in his chair.

“Danielle, this is my dear friend and colleague, the beadle Bamford,” Turpin said to her.

“Hello,” Dani said quietly, her eyes on the floor.

“Pleased to meet you, my dear,” the beadle said to her.

“Would you care to join us for dinner, beadle?” Turpin inquired.

“I’d love to,’ he replied, his eyes roaming over the girl.

“Give us just a moment. Make yourself at home. Danielle, will you join me in the kitchen?”

“Yes, sir,” she said, immediately getting up.

Together in the kitchen they prepared a plate of cold meat, biscuits, fruits and vegetables.

“Now, you set the table in the dining room. Set it for three, obviously. Plates, knives, forks and glasses. When you are done fetch a bottle of wine out of the cellar,” he instructed.

“Yes, sir,” she said obediently.

Turpin went back into the parlor where the beadle was waiting, leaving Dani to finish up.

“She’s a quiet one, isn’t she?” the beadle said. “A pretty little thing though…she can’t be more than sixteen…”

“You are not to bother her, beadle,” he warned, knowing the man’s penchant for women.

“Wouldn’t _dream_ of it, my lord,” he lied. Turpin scoffed inwardly and motioned for the man to follow him into the dining room.

Dani was silent for the most part as the three of them ate. Turpin talked to the beadle about work, about who had been sentenced recently and about upcoming cases. Beadle tried to engage Dani in conversation, but she was minimally responsive.

“How old are you, Danielle?” the beadle asked her.

“Seventeen,” she said quietly.

“Ah. And where are you from?” he inquired.

She merely shrugged, keeping her eyes cast down.

Turpin wondered to himself at her behavior around other men. She seemed uncomfortable and reluctant to speak around all the men they had met today- the tailor and the barber and now the beadle. She was not so uncomfortable around him, it seemed, and he pondered this as he ate.

Once Dani was finished eating, he noticed she looked uncomfortable. She sat there, eyes down, arms crossed.

“You may go to your room, Danielle,” Turpin said to her.

“Thank you, sir,” she said softly and pushed back from the table. Once she was gone, beadle spoke.

“What did you do that for? It’s nice having a bit of female company for once,” he said.

“She looked uncomfortable,” Turpin replied with a shrug.

“ ‘She looked uncomfortable’?” the beadle repeated. “Since when do you care?”

“I don’t,” he scoffed.

He chatted with the beadle for a while longer. When he finally left, the judge headed upstairs. He noticed the door to Dani’s room was partially open. He knocked softly on the door and pushed it open. She was sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed, holding something in her lap.

“May I come in?” he asked her, feeling a little awkward.

“It’s your house,” she mumbled.

“…Are you okay?” he asked, walking over to her bed.

“Yeah. …I mean, yes sir,” she said quickly.

“…What’ve you got there?” he inquired, sitting on the edge of her bed, gesturing towards what she was holding in her lap. She showed him. It appeared to be a very grubby, very old stuffed tiger.

“What’s his name?” he asked.

Dani looked at him scrutinously. Turpin wasn’t good at dealing with children, he was good at dealing with women. Dani was a combination of both. He tried to be sensitive to the side of her that was still a child.

“…His name is Mandrake. I’ve had him since…for as long as I can remember,” she said softly, clutching the toy close.

“Looks like he could probably use a bath too, eh?” he said lightly. She smiled weakly. Well, at least she could recognize he was trying.

“Well, I’m going to bed,” he said, standing up. “You should try and get some sleep, too.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you want me to leave the door open?”

“No, close it. Please.”

“Alright then. …Goodnight Danielle.”

“Goodnight my lord.”

He shut the door and blew out a sigh. This was going to be tougher than he thought…but it hadn’t been a total disaster. He was curious about this girl and wanted to get to know her better. He wanted to know where she came from, who she was- who she was now and who she was before she became a vagabond.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Once he had left her room, Dani got up and locked the door after him. She

shimmied out of her new clothes and slipped into bed. It was too hot to sleep in clothes and she liked the feel of the sheets on her bare skin. The bed was so impossibly soft. She snuggled down into the blankets, Mandrake clutched close to her side, and was asleep within minutes.

She awoke a couple of hours later, completely alert, unable to remember where she was at first. She’d been having a nightmare, but she couldn’t remember exactly what it was about. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she realized where she was. She lay there a moment, thinking. She knew there was no way she would be able to sleep. She wasn’t used to sleeping more than a few hours at a time. She felt antsy and knew she couldn’t be in the house much longer. It was hot and stuffy- she needed fresh air.

Dani got out of bed and dressed in her skirt and blouse. She left her shoes by the bed. She thought about going down the stairs and out the front door, but was afraid the judge would wake up. She didn’t want to have to explain why she wanted to leave- she wasn’t sure she could explain. It wasn’t as if she were leaving for good. She just needed some space.

She walked over to the window and quietly slid it open. She looked out to make sure there was no one about on the street. There was no one. Carefully she stepped barefoot out onto the ledge and assessed the front of the building. To her right was a small patio which she suspected led into the judge’s room. To her left was an ornate brick design- perfect for scaling down. She carefully made her way over to the bricks and shimmied down into the bushes below with little trouble.

Feeling free, Dani made her way down the streets, flitting in and out of alleyways. When she got close to where she wanted to be, she climbed up onto the nearest rooftop and from there made her way to the top of one of the tallest buildings in the city- the courthouse.

From the top of the courthouse you could see all of London. The lights that still flickered in some windows. Bums and drunks making their way home from taverns by the light of the full moon. It was one of her favorite places to be, though she’d never thought much about what went on in the building below. Sure it was empty now, but during the day it was where Turpin sat in his powdered wig, determining who was guilty and doling out punishments, deciding who would live and who would die.

Dani lay on her back on the cold stone roof and looked up at the full moon and the stars. She thought about Judge Turpin. She never thought she would like a judge or any lawful figure, but she liked him. He was nice to her…she still wasn’t sure why, but he was making an effort. She liked his personality, she liked his house…she liked the way he talked to her without making her feel like scum. And he wasn’t all that bad looking, either.

Dani lay there for perhaps an hour before heading back to his house. She felt like she might could get back to sleep now. As she climbed up the side of the house, she could have sworn she saw the curtain of the judge’s window move a bit. She high-tailed it up the wall and back through the window. She flopped back onto the bed and lay there, listening for any sign of him stirring. She heard nothing. She breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed on the bed.

 

Turpin was standing at his window. He had heard Dani leave and watched her flit down the street. He had sat up in his chair by the window, waiting to see if she would return. He was extremely relieved when she did, though he couldn’t say why. He was somewhat impressed with her ability to climb the side of the house, a feat he would have found impossible, especially barefoot. Once he heard her come back in and jump into her bed, he relaxed and got back into his own bed.

He was curious about what had caused her to leave, where she had gone, but he did not mention it the next morning at breakfast. He had to leave and go to work, but he gave Dani a list of tasks to do while he was gone.

“You are by no means required to stay in the house once you finish your work,” he said. “You can get something to eat from the kitchen for lunch- I won’t be home until this afternoon. Here’s some money, if there’s anything you need…”

“Like what, sir?” she asked, reluctantly accepting the money he offered.

“Like anything,” he said with a small, kind smile.

Turpin was reluctant to leave the house and go to work that morning. Not because he didn’t trust Dani, but because he didn’t like leaving her alone. By having to go to work, he was denied a chance to observe her. He thought about just not going in to work, but he couldn’t do that. It wasn’t as if there were another judge to take his place. Perhaps this was for the best. Give her a chance to get used to the house and the role she would play.

 

When Turpin left, Dani started about the tasks he had told her to do. Dusting, straightening up, doing the dishes, sweeping the kitchen…and anything else she could think of. She took her dirty and worn clothes, as well as Mandrake, out to the back yard to wash them. She had never washed anything using a washboard before, but she had watched it being done before by women in backyards. When she was done scrubbing the items against the board, she hung the clothes up on the clothesline. She didn’t trust leaving Mandrake out on the clothesline, though… But he needed to be in the sun somewhere to dry. Her first thought was to put him on the roof, but she didn’t see an easy way to the top of the house. Then she thought of the little terrace that led to the judge’s room.

Smiling to herself, she went quickly to Turpin’s room, but found the door locked. Disappointed, she went into her own room and climbed out onto the ledge and over to the balcony. She put Mandrake in what was sure to be a sunny spot, then looked around. She could surely get into the judge’s bedroom from here…but she didn’t. She respected his privacy. She went back over to her own window and ducked inside.

She wandered the house for a bit, looking at the books on the shelves, including the naughtier ones. The pictures looked hand-drawn and she found herself wondering if Turpin had drawn them himself. There were pictures from all over the world- Japan, China, Australia, even Africa.

When she grew bored with the books she remembered the stuff in the attic upstairs and quickly made her way there. Magic had always intrigued her. She’d spent hours watching street performers, illusionists, trying to figure out their secrets. Sometimes she could and sometimes she couldn’t. Here was a chance to learn her own magic.

She opened one of the first boxes and found a number of items. On top, there was a book called _Basic Magic for Beginners_ by Markus Mulfinger. Excited, she found a spot amongst the boxes, near the window, where she sat down to read.

 


	8. Chapter 8

When Turpin got home that afternoon he didn’t see Dani anywhere. The chores he had left for her had been done.

“Danielle?” he called, going up to the second floor. He noticed the door to the attic was partially open and stuck his head in.

“Danielle? Are you up here?” he called.

“I’m here,” she called back down. He headed up the stairs and looked around. Somehow she had uncovered a small table with two chairs. She had several books and a number of items on the table.

“Come sit,” she said enthusiastically. “I want to show you something.”

Somewhat curious, he sat. Dani picked up a deck of cards and spread them out in her hands.

“Pick a card and don’t show it to me,” she instructed. He humored her and did as asked. He looked at the card- the queen of hearts.

“Okay, now put it back in the deck,” she continued. He did as told and she shuffled the deck, cut the cards, and shuffled again. She studied him carefully, then pulled out a card.

“Is this your card?” she asked, turning it towards him.

“…How did you do that?” he asked, frowning slightly at the queen of hearts she held in her hand.

“A magician never reveals her secrets,” she replied, grinning mischievously.

“Oh, are you a magician now? I thought I hired you to clean?” he teased lightly.

“I _did_ clean. Did you see?”

“Of course. You did a good job.”

“Thanks. Is it okay if I keep messing around with this stuff? I’ll come down now to make dinner, but I mean later…tomorrow…”

“Sure,” he replied with a shrug. “It’s just been sitting up here.”

“What was the magician’s name who used to live here?”

“Something Mulfanger? Something like that?”

“Markus Mulfinger?”

“Yes, that was it. How did you know?” he asked.

“He wrote this book I found.”

“Can I see?”

“No, cuz then you’ll know my secrets,” she replied smugly.

“Alright, keep your secrets then. I’m going back down stairs.”

 

Dani went downstairs a short while later to prepare dinner for Turpin and herself. This time they had no company at the dinner table and she found herself talking more freely. She listened as Turpin talked about his day, the cases that had come before him. A pick-pocket, a murderer and a rapist, all in one day. The rapist had been sentenced to death; the murderer to 10 years in prison.

“Why not death for the murderer?” she asked curiously.

“He had a reason- the man he killed was sleeping with his wife.”

“Hm… what about the pick-pocket?”

“I thought about prison time, but it wouldn’t really teach him a lesson. He is only a child… He’s going to be doing some community service, though I haven’t thought of anything yet.”

They chewed their food in thoughtful silence, then Dani picked up her spoon.

“Wanna see another trick I learned?” she asked excitedly.

“Sure,” he said with a small smile.

She grasped the spoon carefully the way the book instructed and with a slight of hand, making it appear as if she were bending the spoon in half. Turpin looked at her sharply and opened his mouth as if to reprimand her, but she revealed that the spoon was not bent.

“It’s an illusion,” she assured him.

“Oh. That’s pretty good.”

“Thanks,” she said, grinning proudly. “…Sir.”

After dinner, Turpin headed upstairs to his room, leaving Dani to clean up after dinner. She had just finished washing the dishes when she heard him call.

“Oh Danielle- will you come here?” he called from upstairs. She put the last dish away then hurried upstairs.

“Yes?” she asked as she reached the hallway. He was standing just outside his door.

“What is Milton doing on my balcony?” he asked, holding Mandrake out to her. Her eyes grew big as she realized she’d forgotten him.

“His name isn’t _Milton_ , it’s Mandrake! He was drying, I didn’t want to leave him out on the clothesline, in case someone stole him-”

“Somehow, I don’t think anyone would take Mildew,” the judge said, examining the tiger.

“ _Mandrake_ ,” she said forcefully.

Dani was tense. She had never let anyone touch her tiger before.

“Can I have him back? …Please?” she asked anxiously. He studied her silently, then handed her the doll.

“He doesn’t have stripes, you know. I don’t think he is a tiger.”

“He _did_ have stripes…a long time ago. When he was new.”

“How long ago was that?” Turpin asked.

“…Dunno,” she said shortly, then turned and took her tiger into her room.

Once she had shut the door behind her, she hugged the tiger to her chest. Then she chuckled to herself.

“Mildew,” she said aloud and chuckled again. She kissed the tiger on top of his furry head and placed him on the bed.

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

After working for Judge Turpin for a little over a month, Dani was finally starting to feel at home in the large house and with the judge himself. She spent her days doing the cleaning and cooking while he worked. She spent her free time reading Turpin’s books or messing around in the attic. She’d learned a few more tricks, illusions and had fun doing so.

One afternoon she was up in the attic learning a new card trick when she heard music downstairs. Curious she lay her cards aside and made her way downstairs. She found the judge sitting at the piano, his long fingers moving across the ivory keys as his eyes followed along on a sheet of music.

Dani waited until he had finished the song he was playing and she clapped.

“I didn't know you could play,” she commented. “That was really pretty.”

“Thank you. Would you like to learn how to play?” he asked her. “Or, have you ever played?”

“Not a lot of pianos on the streets,” she answered with a faint smile.

“I would not be surprised to learn you broke into a music hall or a church to play the piano,” he said with a smile of his own. She shook her head.

“I don't know all the symbols,” she said, nodding to the sheet music.

“The notes? Come, sit beside me, and I'll teach you,” he said, moving over on the bench. Dani sat beside him and he began to teach her to read music.

Over the next several weeks the Judge spent his afternoons teaching Dani to play the piano. She was eager to learn and when the judge praised her it made her all the more eager. Soon she was as good as he was.

 

Dani started sleeping better at night, though she never slept the whole night through. About midway through September she started having dreams about the orphanage. Not all of them were nightmares- some of them were just random things, normal things, like eating lunch in the mess hall or playing out back with some of the other kids.

Late one night she awoke from a dream she couldn’t remember with her heart pounding and an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She lay there until her heartbeat calmed, but the uneasy feeling did not subside. She got up, leaving Mandrake on the bed, and headed out the window.

 

Turpin heard the tell-tale sound of Dani’s window sliding open. It had been a while since she’d mysteriously departed at night. Since he was having trouble sleeping himself, he decided to follow her. He made his way downstairs quickly and was out the front door just in time to see Dani walking down the street. He followed her at a safe distance and watched as she made her way onto the roof of a nearby building. It always amazed him to see the way she could scale a building so easily without shoes on. Like a monkey. He followed her movements and saw her climb to the top of the courthouse. She sat on the ledge, letting her feet trail over the side, and looked up at the moon.

Turpin waited to see what she would do, but she just sat there, looking at the sky. She looked somewhat peaceful sitting up there. Perplexed, Turpin made his way back home before she could catch him. About 15 minutes after he returned, he heard her climb back through her bedroom window. He made the decision then that the next time he caught her sneaking out, he would confront her about it.

 

The next night Dani had trouble falling asleep and when she finally did she began to dream. But it wasn’t just a dream…it was a memory…

_She was alone in a room at the orphanage. The last girl she shared a room with, Katlyn, had been adopted earlier that day. This would be the first night she slept alone. It was dark, but she wasn’t afraid. She had no reason to be afraid._

_The door to her room slowly creaked open. She lay there, frozen._

_“Who’s…Who’s there?” she asked softly._

_“Shh…” said a voice. Her heart was pounding as someone climbed into bed with her. She couldn’t see anything. There was no light coming in from anywhere in the room. The person pulled her blankets away and pushed up her nightdress. He snatched Mandrake out of her grasp and tossed the tiger across the room._

_“S-stop!” she cried, terrified. He put a hand over her mouth and pushed her head down._

_“Shut up and be still,” he said. Her heart jumped when she recognized the voice as Brian, the owner of the orphanage. He was never around much, but when he was she had always got the feeling he was watching her._

_Keeping one hand over her mouth, he forced her legs apart and moved between her thighs. He thrust himself inside of her and she felt a blinding pain between her legs. She screamed, the sound muffled by his huge, burly hand._

_When he was finished with her, he rolled off of her and left the room, closing the door behind him. Crying silently, she climbed out of bed, sore and bleeding. She got a bag and shoved some clothes and a blanket in it- not the blanket off her bed, but the blanket off the bed that had belonged to Amy, another girl who used to stay there. She picked Mandrake up off the floor, brushed the dirt off of him, and crept out the window…_

 

Dani woke up in her room at Turpin’s house, crying. She hadn’t cried in years. It wasn’t silent crying either- it was loud, gasping sobs. Worried she would wake the judge, she knew she had to go. Somewhere. Anywhere.

She dressed quickly, trying to suppress her sobs, and slid open her window. She slipped out onto the ledge and started to climb down.

“Danielle?” said a voice above her. She nearly lost her grip and fell, but managed to hold on. She looked up to see Judge Turpin looking down at her from the balcony.

“Come here,” he said, beckoning.

She hesitated, cast her eyes down, and then began to climb upwards. She hoisted herself over the balcony and Turpin took her hand, helping her over.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked her.

“Just- just go ahead and kick me out already. Yell at me, punish me, whatever. I don’t care,” she said, unable to help that she was still crying.

“Calm down, Danielle… I’m not mad. I know you’ve been sneaking out,” he said calmly.

“You…you do?”

“Yes. I don’t care…well, I mean, I worry about you, being out there on your own, but… What’s wrong?” he asked gently. She shook her head and looked out over the city.

“…Come inside,” he said, opening the door to his room. Dani wiped her nose on the back of her hand and followed him inside, curiosity getting the better of her.

She looked around the judge’s room curiously, taking it in. The walls were painted tan. The furniture was all made of a rich-colored oak. There was a dresser, a chifforobe and a bedside table. There was a large, four-poster bed, which dominated most of the room. The gold-colored bedclothes were turned back, like he had just gotten up- which he had, presumably. The bed looked warm and inviting.

Dani sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed and crossed her arms.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” Turpin asked, sitting awkwardly beside her on the bed.

“I just…had a bad dream, that’s all,” she murmured, looking at the floor.

“ _Is_ that all?” he prodded.

“No… it wasn’t just a bad dream…it was a bad memory…of something bad that happened to me…”

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to, but…it may help you feel better.”

“I’ve never told anyone…” she said softly.

He didn’t say anything, but patiently waited for her to continue.

“Before I came to live here…before I was on the streets…I lived in an orphanage,” she began.

“I figured as much. …Why did you leave?” he asked gently.

“Someone…did something bad to me,” she said in a small voice, clenching her thighs.

His eyes grew wide and he nodded his head in understanding.

“Someone abused you?” he whispered.

She nodded.

“How old were you?” he asked, voice strained.

She thought about it a moment, trying to remember.

“Twelve,” she said.

“Oh Danielle…I am so sorry…”

At that she began to cry again. Turpin looked unsure as to what to do. He looked as if he wanted to put his arms around her, but didn’t want to upset her further. She moved closer to him on the bed, making the decision easy for him. He put his arms around her and she buried her face in his chest, weeping.

It felt good to have him hold her while she cried. No one had ever held her before, especially not as gently as he was holding her. He stroked her hair and rested his chin on top of her head. He murmured soft words of comfort, but she didn’t hear what he was saying. She felt warm and safe in his arms. He made her feel like a child…and for once that wasn’t such a bad thing.

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

It felt good to be holding her. He wanted to comfort her. A part of him was furious at whoever had hurt her and he was determined to find out who it was…but he wouldn’t ask her to talk about it anymore. It hurt his heart that she was crying. Usually such things did not bother him, but he hated to see her hurting. Especially since she always seemed so strong, so independent.

He held her, stroking her hair, pressing soft kisses into her hair until she stopped crying. Then she just let him hold her.

“…If you want to leave, you can,” he told her gently. “Go…wherever it is you usually go when you are upset, if you want to.”

He wasn’t about to admit he had followed her. He didn’t want her to go, of course, but he didn’t want to force her to stay either. If she was happier being alone, then so be it.

“No…no, I don’t want to. You…Can I just stay in here?” she asked quietly, her voice muffled by his chest.

“Of course,” he said, relieved that she wanted to stay with him.

He continued to hold her until his back started to hurt from sitting upright. Then they lay down together, his arms still around her and her still pressing herself against him.

“…Do you want to get Melvin?” he asked after a while, as she was starting to fall asleep. “You don’t usually sleep without him, do you?”

“It’s _Mandrake_ ,” she said forcefully.

He smiled to himself- he knew the tiger’s name was Mandrake, but liked teasing her.

“…Would you go and get him for me?” she asked softly.

“Of course, love,” he said. He removed his arms from around her, realizing how stiff his arms had become. He hadn’t noticed before. He kissed her forehead before leaving the room to retrieve the tiger.

Mandrake was sitting on the bed, tucked between the pillows and partially covered with a blanket, as Dani had left him. Turpin smiled to himself. She loved her tiger… He wondered if she’d had him at the orphanage. She must have, she said she didn’t remember how long she’d had him. He also wondered where she had gotten it- someone at the orphanage or a parent? It was possible she had been in the orphanage since she was a baby. That would be another reason to find the orphanage- he could learn more about her past, as well as beat the hell out of whoever it was that had hurt her.

Turpin picked up the tiger- it was surprisingly soft, considering all that it had been through- and held it close to him a moment before going back into his room. Dani was still there, only now she was nestled between the sheets. He smiled as he gave her Mandrake and slipped into bed next to her. He opened his arms to her and she snuggled up against him again, the tiger now between them.

He lay there awake for the longest time. He was sure she was asleep. He was trying hard not to be aroused. He had taken it upon himself to be her protector and he didn't want to take advantage of her, especially after all she had been through. But she was a pretty young girl, snuggled up against him in his own bed. He couldn’t really help himself.

She giggled suddenly, making his heart jump.

“What are you laughing at?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she replied innocently, squirming against him. She moved up to whisper in his ear.

“I like you, too,” she said quietly and kissed his cheek.

He froze, not hardly daring to breathe. Had she really just said that? Had she really just kissed him?

Dani giggled again and this time kissed his lips. She flicked her tongue out, tasting him and he let out a soft groan, involuntarily opened his mouth a little and she slipped her tongue between his lips. Still kissing him, she slid her leg between his legs, her knee against his growing arousal.

“N-no,” he said, breaking the kiss- though it killed him to do so.

“What? Why not? …Don’t you like me?” she asked, hurt. She pulled away from him.

“Danielle, of course I do…but you are upset. You don’t… I don’t want you to do anything you will regret.”

“I won’t regret it,” she promised.

“Just…not tonight. Think it over,” he murmured. She ‘hmphed’ and turned away from him. He turned his back to her as well.

He lay there for a while, thinking. Had he been stupid? Perhaps. Here he had this nubile young girl who _wanted_ to have sex with him- or at least thought she did- and he had told her ‘no’. Why? Well, he didn’t want to hurt her…not hurt her physically or emotionally. Usually when it came to women he didn’t care about hurting them…but this time was different. She was different. Usually he paid women to do whatever he wanted… it wasn’t often he found someone who was actually _wanted_ to be with him. And he wasn’t entirely sure she _did_ want to be with him. It was late, she was tired, and she had been through a lot. But she had confided in him…she trusted him, at least. And he wasn’t sure what he would do if she was still as insistent tomorrow…

Dani turned in her sleep and snuggled up to him again. He smiled to himself and put his arms around her. It felt so right to have her in his arms and he soon fell peacefully asleep.

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

When Turpin woke up in the morning, Dani was still wrapped in his arms…but she was awake and had one hand down his trousers, wrapped around his hard manhood. She looked up at him with her sparkling green eyes and, seeing that he was awake, grinned mischievously.

“I thought about it some more,” she said.

“And?” he said. “What conclusion did you reach?”

“What do _you_ think?” she said, giving him a slight squeeze. He let out a groan.

“Well…” he said slowly. “If it’s what you want…who am I to deny you?”

She giggled and kissed his lips. This time he allowed her to deepen the kiss and found he quite enjoyed it. He flipped her onto her back and continued kissing her. That’s when he realized she had, at some point, removed her clothes. He laughed and shook his head in wonder before kissing her again.

He took things slow. He took his time, gently kissing his way down her body. He wanted to be easy with her and give her as much pleasure as possible. His own pleasure was not at the forefront of his mind- he was focused entirely on pleasing her.

 

Dani couldn’t believe what was happening. She had thought Turpin would make her leave, would refuse her…yet here he was, kissing his way gently down her neck. His hand rested lightly on her ribs. His mouth finally reached her breasts and she arched against him when he took one of her nipples in his mouth. He licked and sucked gently and used his hand to massage her other breast.

He left her breasts and continued kissing his way, down her flat stomach then on to her thighs. He trailed his hands down her body and rested one hand on her mound. She squirmed eagerly beneath his touch and let out a delighted moan when he slipped one finger inside of her.

 

He was surprised at how wet she was. She really did want him. He licked both of his fingers before slowly pressing them against the soft, pink lips of her pussy, letting them enter her. He did not attempt to bring her to release quickly using his fingers, just to get to the finish and move on to the real deal. He had done this before, would have done it with any other girl, but with Dani, he was simply trying to make her feel comfortable in his bed and under his touch.

He pulled his fingers almost all the way out of her before slowly pushing them back in with a slight twisting motion, letting her tight inner walls feel the firm touch of his long fingers. And when he started adding an occasional long, wet and slightly scabrous lick of his warm tongue to her most sensitive spot, it wasn't long before he had her body practically begging for a release.

“Oh God…” she groaned. “I need…I need you to…”

“What?” he said, teasing her. “What do you need me to do?”

“You know what I want,” she said.

“Why don’t you tell me what you want?”

“I want you…I want your cock, inside of me.”

He grinned wickedly at her words and sat back on his heels to pull his shirt off. She sat up to run her hands over his chest. She tugged on his pants and he got up to remove them.

 

When she saw him standing there completely naked in front of her, she tucked her legs underneath her body and leaned forward so the she was almost on all fours. She reached out and wrapped her soft hand around his hard member which stood proudly in front of her. He moaned at the contact, but stilled her movements after only a few pumps of her hand. She looked up at him when he covered her hand with his and held it still.

“Something wrong?” she asked innocently.

“I can’t take…much more of that,” he groaned.

“Do something about it then,” she challenged.

He bent down to kiss her and they slowly moved up towards the headboard, his body hovering over hers as she pushed herself backwards up to the pillows. She opened her legs beneath him and he broke the kiss to stare into her emerald eyes.

“Are you sure about this, Danielle?” he asked her quietly.

“Obviously,” she said with a small smirk. “Give it to me.”

“Oh you asked for it, little girl,” he said and carefully positioned himself at her entrance.

He rubbed the head of his cock around her opening to lubricate it. She was plenty wet enough already, however. With one fluid motion he slid himself inside of her, gasping at how unbelievably tight she was. She let out a cry of her own, but it was a cry of pleasure, not pain. She moaned at the feeling of him stretching her as he began to move inside of her.

“Oh my-! God, yes!” she cried. “Faster, Judge.”

“You can call me Nathaniel,” he growled in her ear, though he sort of liked it when she called him judge.

“Yes! Nathaniel!”

At the sound of his first name moaned from her lips, he couldn't help but quicken his thrusts. He grabbed her hips to help keep her steady on the bed beneath him as he moved inside her again and again.

He felt as he muscles started to clench and knew she was close. He readjusted his grip on her waist and continued to thrust into her harder, intent that she should reach her release before he did. Finally she let go with a cry and he felt her wall contract around him. The sensation was unbelievable and with a groan of his own he exploded inside of her.

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

They collapsed on the bed together and he immediately wrapped his arms around her. Dani lay there in his arms, her breathing ragged and uneven, trembling slightly from exhaustion. She could feel his chest move from his own heavy breathing. He kissed her damp forehead and brushed her sweat-soaked hair from her face.

“That was…incredible,” she said finally, knowing she should say something.

“Amazing,” he agreed.

She waited until her breathing was back to normal.

“So…can I always call you Nathaniel, or was this a one-time thing?” she asked teasingly.

“It was most defiantly not a one-time thing, if you don’t want it to be. …And you may call me whatever you like,” he replied, kissing her jaw line.

“Nathaniel,” she said softly, smiling. “…Do you have to go to work today?”

“Damn. Yes,” he said reluctantly. Slowly he pulled away from her and got out of the bed. She lay there and watched him as he dressed, smiling sweetly. When he was dressed, she got up and put on her green dress from the day before. She followed him downstairs.

“I will be waiting for you when you get home,” she said as he started to leave and he stopped to kiss her goodbye.

When he was gone, Dani let out a contented sigh and lay down on the couch, smiling. She knew she had work to do, but wanted to rest a moment longer and think about what had happened. She was definitely happy it had happened. It had been amazing; he was amazing. She’d never felt like this about anyone before.

When she had finished all of her usual housework, she went and made the bed in Turpin’s room, which he had left unlocked for once. After fretting over it a moment, she put Mandrake back in her room. She felt sure he wouldn’t want a stuffed animal to take up permanent residence in his bed. She wasn’t even sure if he wanted _her_ to take up permanent residence- or even temporary residence- in his bed.

She piddled around the house for a while, then grew bored and headed outside. Without thinking about it, her feet took her to the courthouse and she took her usual path up onto the roof. She hadn’t been up there in the daytime, not since she’d come to live with the judge. The view was beautiful, but not as beautiful as it was at night; and, if she listened closely, she could hear the noise of the courtroom below, though not enough to make out any of what was said…

 

It was late when Judge Turpin finally left work and he was frustrated. He was eager to get home to Danielle. She had been all he could think about all day, her writhing beneath him, crying his name; he’d had to take several breaks throughout the day, just to get his mind straight. His distractedness had not gone unnoticed. As he walked down the steps of the courthouse, the beadle came after him.

“Are you okay, m’ lord?” beadle asked him.

“I’m fine, Beadle. Just tired and ready to be home.”

The beadle smirked in a knowing way and the judge narrowed his eyes at him.

“I don’t feel well, beadle,” he said snippily.

“Do you need a doctor, sir?”

“No, I need for you to leave me alone.”

“Will you be here in the morning?”

“Most likely.”

Turpin waited until the beadle went on his way, then something compelled him to look up. He could see Danielle, silhouetted against the sky, sitting on the roof of the building. She had not noticed him, was not paying attention. He smiled and climbed up the way he had seen her climb up the night he had followed her. Admittedly, it was difficult and took him a bit longer and he was out of breath when he reached the top. By that time, Dani had noticed he was there and was smiling, offering a hand to help him up. When he was finally at the top, he collapsed onto the ground to catch his breath.

“Are you okay?” she asked, smiling. “How did you find me?”

“I saw you up here,” he said, breathing heavily.

“How did you know how to get up here?”

He hesitated a moment.

“I followed you,” he admitted. “One night. The last time you went.”

He studied her reaction carefully but she didn’t seem upset or angry that he had followed her. On the contrary, she smiled, looking whimsical.

“I love it up here,” she said dreamily, looking around. “At night it’s really beautiful.”

Curious, Turpin got to his feet and looked around. The sun was setting, bathing all of London in it’s final glow. She was right, it was beautiful. He glanced at her, the dreamy look on her face, the last bit of sunlight reflecting in her green eyes. It wasn’t as beautiful as her.

 

They stood and watched the sun set together and when it was completely dark, still they did not leave. Dani sat down and looked up at the stars and Turpin followed suit. When he went to kiss her, she glanced down shyly, not at all the eager beaver she had been that morning. He paused.

“Could it be you’ve changed your mind?” he asked softly.

“No of course not!” she said quickly. “I just thought…perhaps you had regretted it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s all I could think about all day,” he said and she blushed. He kissed her softly and they stayed on the roof a while longer before climbing down- Dani giggling at how long it took him- and returning home.

When they returned home, they made love passionately in his bed once more. They lay staring at each other afterwards, basking in the afterglow. Finally, Dani decided to ask something that had been gnawing on the back of her mind for a while.

“The books downstairs,” she began and he smirked. “The books with the drawings… did you draw them?”

“I did. I used to sail around the world, when I was younger.”

“You are a very good artist,” she said. “I was wondering, if you would…if would like to draw me?”

His smirk turned into a small smile and his brown eyes lit up.

“I would like that,” he said softly. “Very much.”

Turpin climbed out of bed and walked over to his desk. He opened the drawer and removed a pad of paper and a pencil.

“I would like to draw you, just as you are now,” he said. “Are you comfortable?”

Dani adjusted her position so she was propped on her elbow, watching him, and she nodded. He pulled the chair away from the desk and turned it around to face the bed. Then he sat and began carefully, painstakingly, to draw her.

Dani watched his eyes as they moved over her body, then flicked to the pad of paper. She lost track of how long she lay there- it could have been several hours or just one, or even a week. When he was finally finished, he showed her the drawing and she blushed.

“It’s beautiful,” she said quietly. He lay the pad and pencil aside and cupped her face in his hands.

“ _You’re_ beautiful,” he said, and kissed her.

 


	13. Chapter 13

They lived happily together for many months and eventually even beadle knew about their relationship. Turpin had been loathe to tell him- he didn’t like the way the beadle looked at Dani. With Danielle living with him, the beadle did not come around for dinner as much as he once had. Not that Turpin minded in the least.

Dani continued her duties cleaning the house and fixing dinner for the two of them, but spent her nights in his bed. When she wasn’t cleaning, she was in the attic, messing about with the old magician’s things. Turpin left her to it, coming up only when she wanted to show him a new trick. She had worked her way through most of the magician’s book. The last trick in the book was an escape trick and she couldn’t wait to show him…

For the past week, Turpin had been thinking about his relationship with Danielle. He loved her and was certain she loved him. And it wasn’t proper for them to continue living together in sin, the townspeople would start to talk and maybe question his authority as judge… After careful consideration, he decided what to do. One day after leaving the courthouse, he stopped by a jewelry store on the way home and purchased a ring…

Judge Turpin entered the house with the ring in his pocket, feeling almost giddy. He was grinning broadly and looked first in the sitting room, then the kitchen for his future bride.

“Danielle?” he called, wondering if she had gone out. But the door had been locked.

He saw the door to the attic was ajar and the light was on. He opened the door and took the stairs two at a time, feeling half his age.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he froze. There, in the middle of the room, was Danielle, hanging from a noose. Her green eyes were open, but clouded and unseeing. Her lips were blue.

“No,” he cried, and immediately went to cut her down. He tried breathing air into her lungs, but it was too late. Her body was stiff and cold.

“No, no, no,” he repeated over and over again, holding her in his arms. He let out a terrible cry, an almost inhuman sound, a sound that was purely grief and agony. He sat there for hours, wailing, crying her name, wishing to god it was not so. Finally someone heard him and the police came. They found him on the floor of the attic, rocking back and forth with the dead girl in his arms. A magic book lay open to the final page, a few feet from an overturned stool and a solitary black shoe.

 

Danielle Turpin’s death was ruled accidental and Judge Turpin was never quite the same afterward. The day they put her body in the ground, he put the diamond ring on her finger, kissed her cold forehead, and whispered ‘I love you’.

After she was buried, Turpin went back to his house. He gathered all of her things and, weeping, took them to the back yard. Then he went upstairs to the attic and ripped and smashed everything that could be destroyed. He took the remains out to the back yard and piled them up with all of her things. Then, his heart a broken wreck, he lit fire to the lot of it. As the fire consumed the pile, he felt it consuming his heart and his feelings as well. As the fire spread, he spotted something sticking out the bottom of the pile- Mandrake the tiger. He grabbed it desperately and Mandrake came away with only his tail singed. He hugged the tiger close to him, feeling his grief swallow him once more. Unable to cry anymore, he sat there and watched everything burn. After a while, he went upstairs, lay on the bed with the tiger, and didn’t move for three days.

When Turpin finally got up, he locked the tiger in the desk drawer, along with his drawing of Danielle. He then focused all of his energy on one mission. He thought about telling beadle to find him a carriage, but he didn’t want to talk to the beadle. He went to the farthest stable in town, paid a man in coins, and borrowed a horse and saddle.

He rode the horse to a town outside of London, where there was a small, rundown orphanage. The building had not housed orphans in many years, but he had done research (before her death) and found out that the owner, Brian, still lived there. Turpin knocked on the door and a fat, balding man who smelled like booze opened it.

“Are you Brian?” he asked the man.

“What of it?” the man grunted. The Judge pulled out his sidearm and aimed it as his heart. Brian took several steps backwards, eyes wide.

“Today is the day you die,” Turpin said to him quietly.

“I ain’t never done you no harm! Whatchu wanna kill me for?”

“For _raping_ a little girl.”

“What little girl?” Brian asked with a laugh and a smile that made Turpin sick. “There’s been plenty o’ little girls.”

“ _My_ girl,” Turpin snarled and put six rounds in the man’s chest. The smile died on his lips.

Turpin did not stick around to enjoy his revenge, but spat once on the body and quickly left. He stopped once on his way back to London to clean his pistol. He never breathed a word to anyone about his revenge, but carried his bittersweet sorrow with him the rest of his life. It was many years before he felt anything even closely resembling love again, before he desired any woman…and that woman was Lucy Barker.

 

**THE END**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll knew it couldn't be a happy ending, I am so sorry. Please let me know what you thought of my story in the comments! Thank you all for reading!


End file.
